Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

News about Leonard Cohen and his work, press, radio & TV programs etc.
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Paula
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by Paula »

Just checked on Paddy Power the odds have gone down to 4-1.

I didn't think Leonard was making that much headway that it justifies those odds maybe they know something we don't know.

Hallelujah Special
Singles Only.
Applies to the Alexandra Burke, Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen versions of Hallelujah occupying positions 1,2 & 3 in the UK Top 40 singles chart on Christmas Day according to Radio 1.
Hallelujah to be No.1, No.2 & No.3 on Christmas Day 4 - 1
Dublin 14th June, Manchester 20th June, O2 17th July, Matlock Bandstand Aug 28, O2 14th November, Royal Albert Hall 17th and 18th November 2008, MBW 11th July 2009, Liverpool Echo 14th July 2009
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liverpoolken
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by liverpoolken »

As a little diversion for myself I've chosen to try to avoid any version of Hallelujah over the Christmas holiday.
Earlier in the debate I was tempted to hit the YouTube links to the X Factor versions but I managed not to fall to temptation. As I don't listen to music stations on the radio I think my mission has a good chance of succeeding. I did have to reach for the TV remote and hit the mute button the other night during the news when the fight for the Christmas number one spot came up on the screen. So I think I've SEEN one of the versions with a black girl pulling funny faces whilst standing amongst hundreds of candles.

The idea came to mind while listening to a radio documentary earlier this week. The programme was about the government department that tries to find the heirs to unclaimed assets. At one point a very surprised woman was handed a very large cheque which was the proceeds of her dead father's estate, a father who she hadn't seen for 30 years whilst they played the dreadful Buckley version of Hallelujah in the background. The thought suddenly occured to me there and then that from now on whenever programme or film makers want a bit of emotive music to help along an emotional scene their first choice is going to be to lay on some version of Hallelujah.
It was at that moment that a Christmas-free Hallelujah came to me.

Anybody want to join me?

If over the holidays you manage to lay down your weapons and take some time off from the battle of the Hallelujahs take a look a the wonderful streaming webcast of Christy Moore's younger brother Luka Bloom's recent Amsterdam concert at the Paradiso. Definitely a man at the peak of his powers.

http://www.fabchannel.com/luka_bloom_concert

Ta Ken
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UrPal
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by UrPal »

Here's an article from the Daily Mail today which suggests Simon Cowell's company owns the rights to Cohen's Hallelujah through his company, Syco Music, so he stands to make the lion's share of the money from sales of not just Alexandra's X Factor version, but Buckley's and Cohen's recordings as well (not to mention the rival single for second place from Leona):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ar ... ights.html

Cohen's loss of $5 million in the ex-manager debacle may not have put a dent in his mood, but this information, if correct, spills a little bit of rain on this hit parade.

Still, I suppose there's no silver lining without a cloud. And it's par for the course in the music biz for the "svengalis" operating behind the scenes to make more hay than the artists ever see.

Has anyone got a feel for the factual accuracy of this news story? It would seem there's a business connection between Syko and Sony, so there could be something to the story.
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MarieM
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by MarieM »

Has anyone got a feel for the factual accuracy of this news story? It would seem there's a business connection between Syko and Sony, so there could be something to the story.
Simon remains an A&R executive with BMG and BMG now owns Sony. Simon's company, Syco, is part of BMG. Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney have been buying up the rights to songs, other than own, for years as an investment. So, I wouldn't be surprised if Cowell bought up the rights to Hallelujah. Who knows maybe it was Cowell who put the bug in someone's ear to propel Buckley's and Cohen's version up the charts.
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loulou
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by loulou »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... Episode_4/

hehe - just heard this on the 'now show' - about 25 mins in on the bbc iplayer - for those of you outside the uk, where you can't get the iplayer playback, here are words of the spoof song :

i heard there was a perfect song
with miving words and not too long
and a melody that seemed to g oright through ya

well i guess you must put out a track
to cash in on that x-factor but
do you have to MURDER hallelujah ?
do yo uhave to murder hallelujah ?

len cohen might need the royalties
but meanwhile poor old jeff buckley
is rotating in his grave just like a screw here

it is several degrees of wrong
so stick on 2 mariah carey songs
and STAY THE HELL AWAY from hallelujah
stay the hell away from hallelujah

you say this song is now all done
to be the xmas number one
you didnt specify which version
DO YA ?
so rally round to itunes now
and fault this evil plan somehow
and if it works we all say HALLELUJAH !
and if works we all say HALLELUJAH !
desire the horse
depression the cart
John Etherington
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by John Etherington »

Yet another "Hallelujah" article from today's Evening Standard:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... rtComments
stargazer61
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by stargazer61 »

It is many years since I can recall a song being discussed so much by so many! From the Daily Star to The Times. On Tv and on the radio. On forums unrelated to Cohen; from the serious to the flippant. Hallelujah seems now to have attained a life of its own! However if it introduces more people to the genius of Cohen and encourages them to delve further into his work , then this can only be to the good. Shame it has to line Cowell's pockets though.
1970 IOW
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loulou
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by loulou »

absolutely - it has a life of its own

like any artwork , when you put it out there,it becomes all kinds of things, what people see in it, what they impose on it etc - the creator has no control over that anymore, that's just how it is ...............
desire the horse
depression the cart
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thoughtcat
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by thoughtcat »

I've started a Facebook group for LC fans who don't care which version goes to number one, as long as one does...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group ... 9065274161

8)
Habie
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by Habie »

Dear Liverpool Ken

Luka Moore was great, thanks for the link. And a great website.

Also loved your pen-slip, as you wished for a 'Christmas-free Hallelujah'. Could it perchance be Christmas, rather than Hallelujah, that's bothering you at the mo?

And another question: do you never find that trying to banish a song from your mind is the surest way to have it playing there on a loop for the next few weeks? (I can't stop singing that secret chord, even though I've tried hard. But not for the same reasons as you, only because I can't sing in tune so hearing it in my head is a lot worse than anything talent show teenyboppers could ever do to it.)

But otherwise, following several on here who object IN PRINCIPLE to Hallelujah covers (despite Leonard's oft-repeated pleasure in listening to versions of his songs, and how often he gives them to female voices to sing in his concerts etc) - sorry, but I can't get my head round objecting to other people listening to songs I love, whoever's singing them, with or without background candles. After all, who's to say what a real music-lover is, and when popular culture is good and when it's bad? Just a thought.

(I love the intransigence and wit of your posts, but in this case, I'm trying to understand just what it is that you, and many others here, actually object to).
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Pete
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by Pete »

From the Daily Mail today
'......Svengali Simon Cowell and his partners at Sony will certainly have much to rejoice over. A Christmas number one can bring in more than £100000 a week in radio royalties alone. Addin downloads and CD sales, and Cowell and co. could be earning £250,000 for every week it stays at the top.
But Cohen won't see a penny. The Canadian troubadour sold the rights to his entire back catalogue to Sony some years ago on the advice of his business manager, who then cleaned out his £7m retirement fund.'

Will Leonard see any pennies from all of this?? I'm getting confused as other sources say that he will.

... and to think that the other main contender for the Christmas no 1 is/was Drummer Boy (Terry Wogan/Aled Jones) with all proceeds going to charity!!!...and Peter Kay's offering is also benefiting charity.


Pete
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John Etherington
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by John Etherington »

I have no inside info on this whatsoever, but my personal guess is that there may be legal issues that have to be considered concerning the matter of royalties on "Hallelujah" and until such time as this is addressed, there will be no official statement.
Patsy
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by Patsy »

Has anyne else seen this? I thought it was rather funny:

( From BBC News Magazine Monitor)

Now I heard there was a certain song
That Cowell made and you sang along
But you don't really know your music, do you?
What follows next: some Bible text,
Some music terms and some kinky sex,
Leonard Cohen composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The song was strong, but not well known
Till Buckley came, made it his own,
Helped out by John Cale, who had been peculiar:
He'd cut out the most fervent fits
And only kept the dirty bits
Soon every busker's lips said "Hallelujah".

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Jeff Buckley's fans are grumpy now
While Alex milks their holy cow
But for once you don't hear Cohen moaning, do you?
There's royalties from every try
It doesn't matter whose you buy
When nothing's in the charts but "Hallelujah"

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Credit to: Hugh Trimble, Oxford, UK
John Etherington
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by John Etherington »

Vaguely amusing, but it's a good example of how the facts are being distorted. John Cale's version was released in 1991, and Jeff Buckley's in 1994. Cale was the first to record both the verses about King David, and the "Baby I've been here before"... part. Also the reference to "dirty bits" shows that the writer of the parody clearly has no understanding of how sexuality and spirituality are entwined in Leonard's work!

All good things, John E
loulou
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Re: Hallelujah on UK X-Factor (all threads merged here)

Post by loulou »

'how sexuality and spirituality are entwined in Leonard's work'

well said John (and I completely agree)
desire the horse
depression the cart
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